12 On the ORIGIN and STRUCTURE of 



an ifland in a river, or in the recefTes of a wood ; and it was for- 

 tified by palifadoes and mounds of earth. 



THE point of union, which was thus formed among a few 

 tribes, neceffarily produced aflemblies of the whole warriors 

 belonging to them, and the election of one of their chiefs to 

 be their king or common leader. He held his office for life ; be- 

 caufe it was men almoft independent that gave it him, who ne- 

 ver doubted but that they could deprive him of it at pleafure, 

 and who continued him in it, becaufe they had no motive to 

 change him for another *. It was likewife ufually conferred at 

 his death on a perfon of his family. No diftindion could be 

 lefs invidious, or therefore would more readily fix the fuflfrages 

 in favour of a candidate, than his relationship to a deceafed 

 chief. Thus it is faid, Reges ex nobilitate fumunt. The chiefs of 

 the tribes that reforted to the pagus were the natural counfellors 

 of the king, as their -influence was the principal means of en- 

 gaging the warriors in any common meafure. Thefe chiefs 

 were, no doubt, like the kings, ufually elected out of particular 

 families. TACITUS thus mentions the election of the chiefs of 

 the fubordinate tribes : " Eliguntur in iifdem conciliis principes 

 " qui jxira per pagos vicofque reddunt. Centeni fingulis ex plebe 

 " comites, concilium fimul et auctoritas adfunt." De Mor. Germ, 

 c. 12. 



BUT though each pagus acknowledged, in general, no fuperior, 

 yet the circumilances of fociety induced numbers of them to con- 

 federate ; and, when wars happened, a common leader of the con- 

 federacy was chofen of courfe. Men who live on the produce of 



herds 



* Dr STUART, and fome other authors, have laid it down as certain, that thefe chiefs 

 held their offices only for a year. I cannot, however, difcover any good authority for 

 this opinion, though favoured by MONTESQUIEU, contrary to the fpirit of his fyftem. It 

 is oppofed by the univerfal practice of rude nations. The appellation of kings, applied 

 univerfally to the chiefs of rude tribes, is inconfiftent with it. And as the kings of modern 

 Europe were always underftood to hold their offices for life j and as, in general, the great 

 provincial magiftrates, in the ages after the conqueft of the empire, did fo likewife, un- 

 lefs deprived, there feems every reafon to beKeve, that the office of a German chief was 

 equally permanent. 



